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National

Median wages (2008) $28.61 hourly, $59,520 annual
Employment (2006) 12,000 employees
Projected growth (2006-2016) Average (7% to 13%)
Projected need (2006-2016) 5,000 additional employees
19-1012.00 - Food Scientists and Technologists

Use chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and other sciences to study the principles underlying the processing and deterioration of foods; analyze food content to determine levels of vitamins, fat, sugar, and protein; discover new food sources; research ways to make processed foods safe, palatable, and healthful; and apply food science knowledge to determine best ways to process, package, preserve, store, and distribute food.

Sample of reported job titles: Food Technologist, Food Scientist, Quality Assurance Manager (QA Manager), Product Development Manager, Research and Development Director (R & D Director), Research and Development Manager (R & D Manager), Research Scientist, Product Development Scientist, Technical Director, Compliance Coordinator

Tasks

  • Test new products for flavor, texture, color, nutritional content, and adherence to government and industry standards.
  • Check raw ingredients for maturity or stability for processing and finished products for safety, quality, and nutritional value.
  • Confer with process engineers, plant operators, flavor experts, and packaging and marketing specialists to resolve problems in product development.
  • Evaluate food processing and storage operations and assist in the development of quality assurance programs for such operations.
  • Study methods to improve aspects of foods, such as chemical composition, flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and convenience.
  • Study the structure and composition of food or the changes foods undergo in storage and processing.
  • Develop new or improved ways of preserving, processing, packaging, storing, and delivering foods, using knowledge of chemistry, microbiology, and other sciences.
  • Develop food standards and production specifications, safety and sanitary regulations, and waste management and water supply specifications.
  • Demonstrate products to clients.
  • Inspect food processing areas to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards for sanitation, safety, quality, and waste management standards.

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Tools & Technology

Tools used in this occupation:

Cooking machinery — Jet cooking systems; Thermal processing equipment
Crushing machinery — Food crushers; Fruit presses; Pulper finishers
Dehydrating machinery — Drum dryers; Food dehydrators
Laboratory blenders or emulsifiers — Emulsifiers; Pulsifiers
Laboratory heat exchange condensers — Heat exchangers; Plate heat exchangers; Tubular heat exchangers

Technology used in this occupation:

Analytical or scientific software — Insightful S-PLUS; MDS Analytical Technologies GenePix Pro; Sensory Computer Systems SIMS; StatSoft STATISTICA software
Data base user interface and query software — PathogenTracker *; U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA National Nutrient Database
Office suite software — Microsoft Office software
Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
Word processing software — Microsoft Word

* Software developed by a government agency and/or distributed as freeware or shareware.

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